Myeongdong

This afternoon after I got out of class, I decided to venture out of Sinchon for a bit and explore Myeondong. Having a roommate again is great, but I was really craving some alone time. Myeondong is one of Seoul's biggest shopping centers. Namdaemun and Dongdaemun are Seoul's biggest open-air markets, but Myeondong makes up Seoul's biggest commercial area. It's many many street blocks filled with food and clothing vendors and the shops on these streets are mainly clothing and cosmetics. It is also the location of many popular Western stores. I saw a Gap, Forever 21, Ralph Lauren, and there was even a Lacoste and Louis Vuitton store.

Honestly, today was the first day I set out with the intentions to do a little bit of shopping for me. Up until this point I hadn't had a chance to do much clothing shopping and I've mostly been shopping for all my wonderful friends and relatives. But I wanted to see Myeongdong and also check out the Forever 21, which is one of my favorite stores at home. Everyone talked about how huge and wonderful it is, and I gotta say, when I went in I wasn't that impressed! It was a nice store, and it was by no means small, but the Forever 21 in good ole' Smallbany is probably 3 times as big! Who woulda thunk?

I did enjoy shopping there though, I felt like I was back home at Crossgates, except for the fact that I was maybe one of 4 white people in the whole store. That's okay though, I've gotten used to standing out. Now I just smile back at people when they stare, especially the small children. I did manage to find 2 things though and if you know me, you know that I probably didn't pay full price for them either! I found a skirt and a top, both on the sale rack! I was very pleased and I think Grandma Rhoda would've been quite proud.

I wanted to stay a little bit longer but I had made plans with my friend Kara to make fried rice together for dinner so I decided to head back to Sinchon. The Myeongdong subway station was extremely crowded so it took me a little while to reach the platform; I definitely plan on coming back to Myeongdong soon though. Also, this weekend I'm hoping to check out the other markets for a little gift shopping! And yes, I am taking gift requests/suggestions, so don't be shy and speak up!